Colorado Bill to Aid Police in Tracking Alzheimer's Patients

Colorado law enforcement officers now have a new tool enabling them to finding missing seniors, including individuals suffering from Alzheimer's and other disabilities.

Colorado law enforcement officers now have a new tool enabling them to finding missing seniors, including individuals suffering from Alzheimer's and other disabilities.

Governor Bill Ritter signed a bill providing law enforcement officers access to tracking devices technologies, such as transmitter bracelets for at-risk seniors, into law yesterday.

The Alzheimer Association cites that 64,000 people in Colorado have the disease and most are cared for at home. Additionally, according to KUSA-TV, further statistics purport that as a whole, individuals with Alzheimer's remain a mobile and active group. As such, wandering off from secure premises is not uncommon.

Local Colorado resident Deb Wells' husband John was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's in 2002. He received his tracking device three years ago through Project Lifesaver.

His wife, Deb Wells, says the radio transmitted device is important for law enforcement in all counties to have.

"It's great that most of the counties in the metro area have it now because that covers a huge part of the population," says Wells. "The Alzheimer's population is a very active group; they go out and do things so getting it into those places we visit will give us more peace of mind."

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